X Factor
by bossy
Summary: Red X leveled his gaze at the seemingly overrelaxed super villain. “You still haven’t told me what I’m supposed to be stealing.” “Simple, really,” his employer stated nonchalantly. “I want you to steal a Titan.”
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Ah, it's been a long time. I went on hiatus, I guess. Anyway, here's something new. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: No ownership or making money off of Teen Titans here.

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**X Factor  
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**Prologue**

Dark, dank, and cold. Those were the best words to describe the cavern that Red X was traveling. He still wasn't sure why he had agreed to do this, but if nothing else he had a weakness when it came to large sums of money, and that was probably the reason.

The ground he walked on suddenly switched to uneven rock to solid steel, causing his heels to give off a soft click when he stepped on it. Almost immediately, the lights flickered on to reveal a huge room that had been carved out of the cavern, housing a multitude of machines and devices he'd never seen before.

"Welcome," a deep, masculine voice called into the cavern, the word echoing somewhat. Red X was immediately on guard, looking from side to side for an attack. "I've been expecting you."

"Make this quick," Red X stated curtly. "I'm a busy man, and I have things to do."

"Alright," the voice stated, still not revealing himself. "I called you here because I want you to steal something for me."

"Cut the crap," Red X hissed. "I don't know who you are, what you want, or why I'm even wasting my time here."

"I have a preference of anonymity whenever possible," the man said, finally revealing himself and stepping into the light on the other side of the room. He wore a black uniform with silver metal joint guards and a face cover that showed only one eye. "You're not wasting your time here. In fact, it is very much worth your while to stand here."

"How much worth my while?" Red X asked, crossing his arms. "It's very expensive to be me."

"The payment fee for a successful delivery is one million. Plus expenses," Slade stated, also crossing his arms. "Not to mention, a new toy."

A gray utility belt landed at Red X's feet. It looked almost identical to the one that had been picked off him by Robin several months ago. Try as he might, Red X could not produce another that worked as well as the first. But, if memory served him correctly, he remembered the kid mentioning the suit being created because of some psychopath who's name was…S-something.

"Slade," Red X murmured. The man standing opposite of him quirked his head to the side in curiosity.

"Very good," Slade applauded, watching as Red X picked up the new belt and put it on in place of the one he had. "So, do we have a deal?"

Red X leveled his gaze at the seemingly over-relaxed super villain. "You still haven't told me what I'm supposed to be stealing."

"Simple, really," Slade stated nonchalantly. "I want you to steal a Titan."

**Chapter 1**

Cyborg awoke to the feeling that something was off. As he opened his human eye and looked around, he knew it to be true. It was probably mid-morning and the computer system that regulated his sleep and charged his system hadn't woken him at his normal time. As he checked the power reserve readout on his arm, he was alarmed to discover that he hadn't even been fully charged.

"That's weird," he commented to himself as he stood up from his 'bed' and moved to the main computer. His hands typed in a flurry over the keyboard as he ran a full diagnostic on the system. Foul words fell from his lips as the computer refused to obey him.

"I built you," Cyborg reminded it. "You do as _I_ say."

The computer seemed to disagree with him as it flew up a warning to the screen that the reserve generators were about to give out. Cyborg barely resisted the urge to send a sonic blast into the computer for running on the generators all night without letting him know. It meant there was a power failure somewhere.

"Guess I'll go downstairs and see what the problem is," he decided, walking to the door. It slid open for him, though rather slowly due to the lack of power left in the Tower. He did a double take at the sight before him. All the way down the hall in either direction there was graffiti on the walls, trash strewn about everywhere, and wall panels forced open with snapped wires hanging from them.

"Robin, come in," Cyborg spoke to the communicator embedded in his mechanical arm.

"What is it, Cyborg?" Robin responded, sounding half asleep.

"We've got a problem," Cyborg told him as he made his way down the hall to the cargo elevator. "A big one."

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Peacefully oblivious to the evil eyes that watched her, Raven rolled over in her sleep. The light of the sunrise peaked into her room through her slightly parted curtains, spilling over her face and announcing the morning. Raven groaned at the intrusion, cracking open one eye as she waved her hand at the curtains. A curt, black force yanked the curtains together all the way as she buried her head under her pillow.

"Way too early," she muttered, recalling that Control Freak had kept them out until two in the morning after taking over a local movie theatre. He had taken the movie-goers hostage and was forcing them to watch all eight of the movies made from the old sci-fi show The Clash of the Planets, which had people crying out in agony to be let out of the theatre.

Raven dismissed the memory and tried to get comfortable again, fully intending to sleep through breakfast and possibly lunch if her teammates let her. She doubted they would, knowing one of them would come seek her out eventually, asking her if she wanted to partake in one of their sporting rituals. Depending on her mood when they came inquiring, she may go for it. As long as it wasn't Stank Ball. Despite her best efforts to be more social with her teammates since the incident with her father, that was one social tradition she simply could not get in to.

Sleep was beckoning her senses again when she heard a loud banging on the door. She promptly ignored it, hoping the person on the other side would get the picture and go away, lest they be the victim of her early morning moodiness. With the second round of banging in commencement, Raven knew she wasn't going to get off that easily.

"Raven, get up!" Robin yelled through the door. Raven sat up, wiping the sleep from her eyes.

"What's going on?" she asked sleepily, getting an eerie feeling from the sense of urgency in his voice. He usually only sounded like that when they were out on patrol.

"Someone's broken into the Tower," he informed her, instantly capturing her full attention, before losing it again to a second thought.

"Why didn't the security alarm sound?" she muttered more to herself than Robin. He apparently heard her, though.

"Cyborg's checking on that right now," he told her. "The whole place is thrashed. Whoever broke in didn't leave anything sacred."

"Are you sure the 'Green Wonder' didn't just trash the place on one of his gaming binges and is trying to get out of cleaning it up by himself?" Raven asked, crawling out of bed at a pace that showed her lack of enthusiasm. She reached to the pile of clothes on the floor where she had dumped her uniform the night before in her sleep-drugged journey to bed.

"Beast Boy swears it wasn't him," Robin called through the door. Raven shot a sarcastic glare at her door as she pulled on her black body suit. "And I believe him. Whoever broke in totally trashed the gaming system, not to mention almost all of our security measures."

Raven didn't catch his last sentence, frozen in place as she reached for her cloak, knowing that it was not her shadow that had just danced across the far wall.

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"I'm telling you, man," Cyborg growled, surveying the damage that had been done to the basement control room as he headed for the breaker box. "This was professional. Joe Nobody couldn't just walk in here and know how to shut down the entire system, let alone get past my security sensors."

"Beast Boy swears up and down that he didn't do it this time," Robin relayed through the communicator back to him. "And I believe him. Have you seen the observation deck?"

"No," Cyborg answered cautiously, wondering what could have taken the blame off Beast Boy so quickly. "Why? What happened?"

"The gaming center's gone. Totally obliterated," Robin replied, waiting while Cyborg said some choice words before continuing. "So is our big screen. He gets a little wild sometimes, but I don't think he'd be crazy enough to do that."

"I just installed that big screen too," Cyborg muttered as he finally reached the room that had the breaker boxes for the multiple electronics systems in the tower. "Whoever did do this is gong to be lucky to make it to jail after I get through with him."

"Raven, let's go!" Robin said, sounding distant. When he responded again, he was clearer, making it obvious that he had been talking away from the communicator. "I have Beast Boy outside trying to catch a scent of any possible intruder and Starfire is going through level by level checking for further damage or intruders. As soon as Raven gets out here I'm going to have her see if she can fix any of the non-electrical damage."

"Good, because by the looks of things, I'm going to be sorting out this mess for a while," Cyborg agreed, using his shoulder flashlight to lead himself through the chaos to the proper breaker box.

"Raven, what was that?" Cyborg heard Robin ask, once again not speaking to the communicator. If he had to guess, he'd determine that Robin was standing in front of Raven's door, trying fruitlessly to rouse the girl.

Cyborg shook his head, glad it wasn't him trying to wake her up. She was definitely not a morning person, and had a habit of showing it against the poor soul that woke her. He heard a crash through the communicator and Robin shouting incomprehensively, and took a guess that Raven had lost her patience with him.

Laughing quietly to himself at the shorter hero's misfortune, he finally reached the breaker box that housed the manual reset for the power. He turned off all of the systems before initiating a restart, crossing his fingers that the breakers had simply been overloaded instead of completely blown.

With a low buzz, the electricity began flowing again, and with it the lights turned back on. Cyborg took a step back and closed the panel box, and decided that since he was already down there, he'd take a look at the other systems to see if he could determine how bad the damage truly was. He turned around and froze, blinking rapidly to make sure he was not seeing things, but his vision did not change and his eye scanner confirmed what he saw. Across the walls, everywhere, there were red, spray painted X's.

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"Raven, lets go!" Robin called through the door, banging his fist on it again.

Raven slowly pulled her cloak over her shoulders, trying to sense where in the room the intruder was without letting on that she was aware of their presence. As she clasped her cloak in place she made her way to her door, her hand trembled as she reached out to the door key pad. Her senses freaked out all of a sudden and she ducked out of the way, looking up when she heard a clang against the door. Imbedded in it was a black metal shuriken.

"Raven, what was that?" Robin asked through the door.

Raven turned around to see nothing, slowly rising again and blindly reaching for the door key pad. Something on her right moved and she backed against the wall, turning back to the key pad to unlock the door. A rush of air came from her left and her had was lassoed, pulling it and her away from the door.

She turned around to face her attacker, but found none. The rope around her hand was tied to the leg of her bed. She loosed herself quickly enough, but her attacker wasted no time throwing more shuriken her way. She dodged some and created a chakra barrier to block others, but was easily becoming overwhelmed. Robin was shouting through the door at her again to unlock it so he could get in, and she could also hear Cyborg shouting through the communicator about who had broke in.

"It's everywhere, man," Cyborg's tiny sounding voice shouted. "I told you this wasn't a rookie job."

Her attacker took advantage of the distraction to throw a length of chain that was weighted at both ends at her. It wrapped around her torso and one arm, but the sheer force at which it was thrown was enough to knock her to the ground. She it the carpet less than gracefully, giving her a rug burn on her chin and knocking the wind from her for a moment. She pushed herself onto her back, struggling to pull air back into her lungs. Above her, the intruder loomed.

"It's you," she hissed, recognizing the skull mask with the jagged, red x across the forehead.

"None other," he admitted, then made a grab at her. She ducked and narrowly missed being clipped by the x-shaped blade attached to his hand. She quickly spelled a barrier between her and Red X as she phased through the chains that bound her, then turned and ran for the door.

"Robin!" she called, hearing the shattering of her border behind her. "He's in here!"

"That was unnecessary," Red X told her as he tackled her, within mere inches of reaching the door key pad. Before she could conjure up another defense, he slapped a flat, red X over the jewel on her forehead. She cried out in pain as a small electric current sprung forth from the X, then fell limp in his grip, unconscious.

He draped her over his shoulder and made his way to the window, sticking a concussion bomb to the glass and stepped out of the way. The glass shattered a few seconds later, almost simultaneously with Raven's door buckling against the battering ram that was Starfire. Red X jumped out the window without hesitation, with Beast Boy hot on his tail and Robin and Starfire not far behind.

Red X made an attempt to swat the green hummingbird that was quickly catching him in decent, but only caused the changeling to morph into a pterodactyl and take a bite at him. With the ground fast approaching, Red X pulled a tether line from his belt and fired, catching the dinosaur's foot and using the startled beast as a means of slowing down. Once close enough to the ground, he let go of the tether and landed somewhat gracefully, but a sonic blast knocked Raven from his grasp. Just a few feet away stood Cyborg.

"Booyah," the half machine, half man murmured, already aiming his next shot. Red X was not about to be taken by surprise again and began his own assault against the four functional members of the Titans, making sure that he was between them and Raven as he threw just about everything he had against them.

"Raven, wake up!" Robin yelled as he barely dodged a mini bomb. Three shuriken followed, giving him no time to reach his friend. Much to his pleasure, though, Raven began moving. She was slowly picking herself up off the ground, looking disoriented and disgruntled. She rubbed her head gingerly, running her fingers over the X that was still attached to her forehead.

A shadow passed over her, causing Raven to look up at the person standing next to her. Red X appeared in her vision and reached for her. She waved a hand in front of her self, attempting to create a barrier but found nothing happened. He caught her other wrist in mid-swing, her poor attempt at physical defense easily thwarted.

Red X used the arm he had a hold on to turn her around and pull her back into his grip. She kicked and struggled against him to no avail as he ran a path through the stunned and unmoving figures of her friends.

"Let me go!" she demanded as she attempted to trip him by entangling her legs with his. Red X stopped only long enough to toss her over his shoulder again, then began running down the hallways of the Tower towards the sub basement. She could hear her friends shouting a long ways down the hall.

"Cyborg! Starfire!" Raven yelled down the hall as they retreated. "This way! The sub-basement!"

"You need to be quiet," Red X told her as he made it to the garage that housed the Titan's vehicles. He made a bee-line for the red motorcycle on the far side of the room, the only vehicle that didn't look like it had been junked for parts.

"Robin! Beast Boy! Hurry!" Raven yelled again before being set back down on her feet. She was roughly pushed against a wall as Red X held one hand against her back and bound her wrists behind her. She was whipped around and held against the wall again, this time by her throat.

"I told you to be quiet. You didn't listen. Now I have to make you be quiet," Red X told her, his tone sounding somewhat bored. She was about to tell him where to stick his holier-than-thou attitude when she felt a fist connect with her stomach, knocking the wind from her lungs for the second time in less than fifteen minutes. Her knees buckled and she saw stars in her vision as she was dragged over to the motorcycle and tied to it.

Red X had just sat down on the bike as well when the Titans burst into the sub-basement as well, only to be greeted to the sound of a motorcycle engine revving and tires squealing. The last thing they saw before he disappeared down the subterranean tunnel to the city was a smug wave from Red X and the tail light of the motorcycle. Beast Boy made like a cheetah after him down the tunnel, but could not keep the speed up long enough to catch up.

"My car," Cyborg growled, staring at the parts that were strewn about the basement in a random mess. Beast Boy returned looking disappointed and distressed.

"Dude, we just got our butts kicked by that punk," Beast Boy complained in between pants. "And it was like nothing to him. Either we're slipping, or that dude's gotten way better since the last time we saw him."

No one chose to respond to Beast Boy's observation, each to deep in thought over just how the thieving ninja had managed to thwart them so easily. A loud crash near Starfire brought their attention to her. She had picked up one of Cyborg's toolboxes and chucked it into the wall in frustration.

"Our friend is gone," Starfire stated, her voice shaking in anger. "She was taken from us. Again."

"We _will_ find her," Robin reassured her. "We have to."

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A/N: Feedback desired. Especially if I screwed something up. P.S. I promise to finish this fic (and for all who care, am in the process of finishing the others that have been sitting idle for over a year now…) 


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Back by popular demand…Wow. 12 reviews in one day. That's a first. You must like it. I hope this chapter does not disappoint. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: See previous chapter…

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**Chapter 2**

Raven struggled fruitlessly to free her hands. They were bound tightly behind her, then tied to the bike, making it impossible to see what she was doing. Listening to a loud blaring engine and feeling the wind whip her hair into her face wasn't helping her concentration either. She wiggled a little too far to one side and would have fallen off the bike had a strong arm not shifted her back to the center and held her there.

"Quit squirming or I'll knock you out," Red X informed her, trying to ride the bike one handed.

"Go to hell," Raven hissed, still struggling. He hit the brake suddenly and Raven pitched forward, nearly pulling her arms from their sockets at the force.

"Fine. We'll walk the rest of the way," Red X decided, untying her from the bike and yanking her off of it. He faced her in front of him, with one hand holding the back of her neck and pushed her forward. She stumbled a bit, then walked at a normal pace.

"Where are we going?" she asked, not really expecting to be answered.

"To the exchange," Red X told her. "It's about three and a half miles of walking."

"Exchange?" Raven repeated. "Exchange for what?"

"Money," he stated simply. "What did you think this was about?"

"What's this…thing on my forehead?" Raven demanded.

"Specially designed for you," Red X mocked. "Guaranteed to block your powers for quite some time."

Raven growled a response, then let the silence drag on for a while. They were walking in the woods of the mountains, but she couldn't tell what direction they were headed until she heard waves off to one side. She tried to see if she could spot the water through the trees, not watching where she was going and tripped.

Raven didn't land straight on her face, but it wasn't a graceful landing either. She hissed as Red X pulled her back to standing, a long, shallow gash running down her left leg. He sighed in exasperation while shaking his head, then lifted her over his shoulder and began carrying her.

"You're almost not worth the money," Red X muttered as he walked the rest of the way out of the forest. From hanging behind him, Raven could see that they were nearly on the edge of one cliff; below it the sea crashed against it.

After a while of being carried, Raven's stomach began to hurt from being jostled up and down over his shoulder. She started to squirm again and was rewarded by being dumped on her butt.

"I take it back, you definitely aren't worth the money," Red X muttered, pulling her to her feet again, standing in front of a dark cavern. He took hold of her neck again and pushed her forward, ignoring her pained limp.

"Where are we?" Raven growled out, stumbling again on the uneven ground. It was pitch black and very cold.

"The exchange," Red X told her, still directing her in the dark. They began walking on normal ground and the lights flickered on. Raven blinked a few times to focus, then stared openly at the various machines in the room.

"This doesn't look like an exchange," Raven accused. "This is a base. What are you doing with me?"

Red X stepped in front of her and backed her into one of the machines, locking her hands into shackles that protruded from it. "I'm here to exchange you for my fee."

"There is no one here but you!" she yelled at him as he locked her legs the same way. "So then, who made you do this?"

"Come now, Raven," a familiar voice rang throughout the cavern. "You haven't forgotten about me so quickly, have you?"

"Slade," she trembled.

"Because I certainly haven't forgotten about you," Slade continued, finally walking into sight. He looked the same as the day he'd helped the Titans fight against her father, Trigon. "Nor what you did for me."

"When do I receive my payment?" Red X interrupted.

"The money has been forwarded to an account in Jump City Bank," Slade explained. "User name for that account is Edals, Inc. The password is Titan. Feel free to transfer the balance to your own account."

"Then my job here is done," Red X clarified, turning and heading for the exit.

"Actually, I have another proposition for you," Slade revealed, stopping the self-proclaimed thief in his tracks. "If you're interested."

"Depends," Red X said. "Is this job as highly profitable as the last?"

"Not quite," Slade admitted, watching the young man start walking out again. "But all I want is a book."

"Then steal it yourself," Red X told him.

"But you're so much more convenient," Slade countered. "Two hundred fifty thousand. Plus expenses."

"And where is this book?" Red X inquired. "Fort Knox?"

"Actually, its last known location is the old Jump City Library," Slade informed him.

"Exactly what book am I looking for?" Red X asked, curious.

"A book of spells," Slade stated, suddenly gaining the interest of Raven. "It is called The Book of Azar."

"Sounds like easy money," Red X surmised. "I suppose I can do one more job."

"Good," Slade said, watching the young man leave. He then turned his attention to Raven. "In the mean time, you and I have some catching up to do."

"Go to hell," Raven hissed.

"Been there, done that," Slade mocked. "It wasn't all that it was cracked up to be."

"You should have stayed there," Raven muttered. "Why do you want that book of spells?"

"I suppose you wouldn't believe me if I told you I simply wanted to use it for world domination," Slade guessed. The look on Raven's face affirmed that thought. "I don't feel like revealing all my secrets right now, so you'll just have to wait and see."

He left her shackled to the machine and walked away, leaving her with her thoughts. She wondered what her friends were doing at that moment, as well as wished for the hundredth time that they were with her. Suddenly, the lights in the cavern cut out, leaving Raven in complete darkness. Though she had spent the majority of her life surrounding herself in the shadows, she never felt more alone than she did at that moment.

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"It's working," Robin confirmed, glad that he'd decided to put a tracking device on his motorcycle after the last few incidents with Johnny Rancid and Ding Dong Daddy. The blip that was his bike was showing up clearly on the only functional monitor in the Tower. "And it's headed…back into town?"

"Is this not a good thing?" Starfire asked, standing behind him. "If he is in the city, we do not have far to travel in our pursuit of him."

"Yeah, it's good in that perspective," Robin agreed. "But what was he doing on the outskirts of town?"

"Maybe we should ask him, after we kick his butt a little," Cyborg suggested. "I got the T-Car in running shape again. Bring the tracker and we can meet him half way. Hopefully with a big crunch."

"Hopefully not," Robin muttered. "That is MY motorcycle."

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The motorcycle was parked right in front of the old library. As the Titans climbed out of the car, there was an odd quietness about them. The last time they had been in the library, Raven had become her father's portal. None of them were sure at the time if they would be able to get their friend back. It was like a sickening feeling of déjà vu as they walked through the collapsed doors.

The library had been in shambles the last time they had been there, but this time there were books and papers strewn everywhere. Like the place had been turned upside down in search of something. Beast Boy flew up to the third floor and Starfire to the second, while Cyborg searched the main floor and Robin headed for the old passage way.

Robin walked down the hard stone stairs toward the library's basement, running his hand along the wall trying to feel out where the passage had been. He found the familiar mark in the wall, but when he tried to kick through it, all he received was a searing pain in his foot. He knocked on the stone, listening to the sound it made. It didn't sound like stone that had a long passage way behind it. It sounded solid.

"This is Robin," he stated into his communicator. "Give me a report guys."

"The place is a mess," Cyborg responded. "That's all I have to report. There's no one here."

"Yeah, me too," Beast Boy stated, then sneezed. "Only a lot of dust."

"The Book of Azar: A Compilation of Spells," Starfire spoke into the communicator. "Why does this book sound familiar?"

"Were did that come from?" Cyborg asked as he made his way back to the main lobby.

"It is on this small white card," Starfire informed him. "There are many of these cards all over the floor. This one was on top."

"It's probably the book's catalogue card," Cyborg told her. "There should be letters and numbers to indicate what isle and rack the book is on."

"It is not here," Starfire revealed.

"Nor would it be," Robin agreed as he headed back up to the first floor. Cyborg stood in the middle of the room waiting for him. Above, Starfire and Beast Boy were descending to them. "That's Raven's spell book. The one we used to build her safe room."

"Thanks," Red X said from behind him. Robin whipped around to catch a glimpse of him before he threw a smoke bomb to the ground, immediately shrouding the thief in a haze. "That's exactly what I needed to know."

Robin stood there, perplexed for a moment before running out the collapsed doors in chase. The others were not far behind him, but when they had cleared the building, no one was there. Only Robin's motorcycle and the T-Car were waiting for them.

"We've got to get back to the Tower as soon as we can," Robin announced, climbing onto the bike and starting it. "He's after the book!"

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A/N: That's all for now. Next update won't be for probably a week. But feel free to leave feedback! 


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: New chapter! Only four days late… Alas. I make no excuses. I was lazy. Lots of action scenes in this one, and I apologize if they suck. They take forever to write and sometimes you just want to get them done and over with. Anyway, enjoy!

Disclaimer: See previous chapter…

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**Chapter 3**

"Cyborg, report."

"Levels six through eleven, secure," Cyborg stated into his communicator.

"Beast Boy, report."

"Outer perimeter and levels one through five, secure," Beast Boy conveyed, walking the shoreline of the small island.

"Starfire, report."

"Level twelve and up, secure," Starfire confirmed, floating a couple dozen feet above the Tower. "What is your status, friend?"

"Safe room, secure," Robin told them, monitoring the security cameras for each level from the control station outside the safe room. "It's going to be soon."

"We're ready," Beast Boy pledged, finished with his perimeter search and headed for the Tower.

"You sure?"

Beast Boy whipped around in time to receive a fist to the stomach, pushing the air from his lungs. He fell to his knees in shock, gasping for air. As he sucked a full breath into his lungs, heard footsteps walk up next to him before he fell into blackness due to a blow to the back of the head.

Red X shook his head at the sight of the unconscious green body, then moved on to the Tower. As he had expected, the halls had been booby trapped. They were neither powerful or effective, but he guessed that they were there simply to provide distraction.

"Looking for something?"

Red X turned around to see Cyborg behind him, his sonic cannon aimed right at him. He barely had time to move before a sonic blast barrage descended upon him. Red X dodged left and right, pulling an X device from his belt. He managed to dodge his way back behind Cyborg, then stuck the device on what he surmised to be the main external circuit board and jumped away.

Red X tapped a button on his belt and heard a loud electrical hum as well as a strangled cry. He turned around, expecting to see the cybernetic body laying on the ground twitching, but was instead rewarded with a blast to the chest.

"Those things are old school man," Cyborg stated, though still smoking somewhat from the attempted electrocution. "Better come up with some new toys if you thing you're gonna get by me."

Red X shook himself as he recovered from the blast, cursing the 'new' belt. So far it had been as big of a failure as the previous ones he had fashioned himself. He pulled another electrocution X as well as a smoke bomb from his belt and activated the wall-climber feature on his boots.

When Cyborg began shooting sonic blasts again, Red X hopped from wall to wall until he had reached the ceiling. Red X threw the smoke bomb to the ground a few feet in front of Cyborg. Smoke instantly began filling the small hallway.

"Can't hide from me man," Cyborg retorted, focusing his cybernetic eye on the heat signature of Red X as the water sprinklers turned on in reaction to the smoke. He watched the colorful shape of the thief back away slightly and throw something at him. Cyborg looked down to see another X device attached to his chest.

"Didn't I just tell you that little trick doesn't work on me anymore?" Cyborg yelled, leveling his arm cannon. "Maybe you just have a learning problem and I'll have to beat it into you."

"Maybe you should reassess yourself first," Red X countered. "You seem to have forgotten that electricity and water don't mix."

Cyborg realized too late what Red X meant before he was jolted with a near deadly amount of electricity. Still clinging to the ceiling, Red X deactivated the X device, then jumped down to the water covered floor. Despite all he'd gone through to get into the Tower, he still hadn't gotten past the first floor, and still had two Titans to deal with.

He had an idea of where the Titans might try to hide the book. On his previous visit, he had toured the Tower as he'd wreaked havoc on the security system and found a small room that looked to be a panic room of sorts. He had a strong feeling that's where the book was.

Red X walked down the hall in the direction of the 'panic room,' surprised at the ease in which he was making his way. The booby traps had ceased all together, and the other two Titans had yet to appear. He began to doubt the accuracy of his guess of the book's whereabouts until his shadow grew long in front of him. He ducked and rolled quickly, narrowly avoiding the almost silent blast of green energy that had been aimed at his back.

"Give me back my friend, wicked one," Starfire demanded, her eyes glowing the same eerie green as the energy gathered in her fists. She let loose in a barrage towards the thief, who could do little but run away in the cramped hall. He finally came to an open door and ducked in, quickly finding shadow cover. Starfire was quick to follow him in, floating right past him towards the center of the room.

"Come out and fight, vile being," Starfire called out, slowly floating in a circle. With her back turned, Red X silently made his way across the room, which turned out to be the infirmary. He spotted an open cabinet of chemicals and headed for it, hoping to find something to use against the strong alien.

He found something that he knew would do the trick and grabbed a cloth, soaking it thoroughly. He made sure not to breathe as he poured the liquid on generously, knowing one whiff would put him down instantly. He waited until the alien was close enough before jumping out behind her and covering her mouth and nose with the cloth.

Despite the affect that the ether should have had on the alien, she threw Red X back and into the wall with great force. Cracks spread in a spider web shape around Red X where he hit the wall. He slid to the ground and prepared for the next attack, but was surprised when none came.

Starfire was standing wobbly in the middle of the room, holding her head. She staggered towards something to brace herself before collapsing all together onto the floor in a heap. Red X slowly got to his feet and cautiously made his way to the alien. She was stronger than humans as much in resisting toxins as in brute strength, so he wasn't about to take his chances.

He prodded her with his foot a little, and with no reaction, he rolled her over onto her back. Her deep breathing let him know she had in fact passed out, but with no idea of when she would wake up again, he picked up the soaked cloth and laid it on her chest, ensuring she'd be out until the cloth dried and the air cleared.

With three down and one to go, Red X cleaned his hands of the remaining ether and headed to the vicinity of the last Titan. The door to the room was ajar, which immediately put his defenses on alert. There was no way the Titans would leave that room unguarded.

Red X nudged the door open with his foot, giving the room the once-over before setting foot in there. It looked empty, but he knew from experience that looks could be deceiving. He walked very close to one wall as he made his way through the small control room, heading for the console. A huge screen showed several different images within the Tower, the one in the center showing a book sitting in the middle of a room.

Upon closer inspection of the screen, Red X confirmed it to be the Book of Azar, and that it sat in the middle of the so-called panic room. A twinge to his senses had Red X bringing his forearm up to block an incoming attack, which turned out to be Robin's metal staff aimed for the back of his head. Red X broke away immediately to put perspective on the situation, momentarily moving away from the console. Robin wouldn't let up though, and Red X was forced into hand-to-hand combat again.

"Since when do you work for someone else?" Robin asked, his staff strikes being deflected by Red X holding a shuriken in each hand.

"Since it pays well," Red X commented, trying to trip Robin, unsuccessfully. "It's very expensive to be me."

"You mean expensive to use the suit," Robin corrected, starting to become tired.

"Same thing," Red X retorted, finally starting to gain the upper hand.

"One of these days I'm going to get that suit back," Robin growled, being forced into a corner as one of every three hits Red X threw landed.

"Over my dead body," Red X threatened. Robin was slowly sliding down the wall, his entire body covered in shallow gashes and cuts.

"Don't tempt me," Robin hissed, slumped on the floor. Red X cocked his head to the side and gave an amused chuckle, then walked over to the console.

"Kid, you don't have what it takes to do something that desperate," Red X told him, his hands typing hurriedly over the console. After about five minutes of furious typing, Red X slammed his fist on the console in frustration. He looked back to the semi-conscious Titan, deciding to get his answers from that source. He picked up the beaten crime fighter and held him by his collar.

"Tell me how to get in there," Red X demanded. Robin smiled a bloody smile.

"Go to hell," he responded. Red X shoved him roughly against the wall and held him there.

"Tell me how to get in there, now," he insisted.

"You can't," Robin told him. Red X found this annoying, and threw the young man into the console.

"Then you go in there," he stated, "and get me that book."

"I can't either," Robin revealed, struggling to sit upright. Red X squatted in front of him, grabbing his hair on the back of his head and yanking back.

"And why not?" he hissed.

"That room was designed for the sole purpose of no one getting in or out once it's activated," Robin said, half smiling. "And the only person who ever could move freely in and out of that room was Raven."

Red X didn't move for a bit, digesting the information and deciding whether or not he believed Robin.

"There's always a way to get what you want," Red X vowed, letting go of Robin and walking out of the room. Robin crawled across the floor over to where he'd lost his communicator.

"Titans, status!" he called into the communicator, slowly trying to pick himself off the floor. "Report in now!"

"Yeah, I'm here," Cyborg groaned into the communicator. "The only thing that is seriously injured is my pride."

"Beast Boy, still alive," the changeling reported. "I can't believe I got my butt kicked again."

"Starfire! Report!" Robin commanded. Nothing.

"Starfire! Respond immediately!" Robin yelled into the communicator, his fear for the beautiful alien growing stronger by the second.

"I am here, Robin," came the trembling response, but not from the communicator. Robin turned around to the doorway where she stood, Red X right behind her, a hand covering her throat. Robin was immediately poised to leap at him, but a slight movement stopped him in his tracks.

"I don't think so," Red X muttered darkly, as the shift in stature showed the syringe sticking out of her neck. Robin could only guess at the identity of the yellow liquid Red X had filled it with, but he was almost sure he didn't want to know. "I want the book. And you're not stupid enough to lock it in that room if there's no way to get to it later. So you either give me the book now, or you won't have long to wonder what's in this syringe."

Robin stood there immobile for a moment, his fists clenching tightly with frustration and anger. Red X had accurately called his bluff. "I thought you said you weren't a villain."

"I'm not," Red X affirmed, his tone still dark. "But desperate times call for desperate measures, kid. Sometimes you gotta do something you don't like to do in order to get what you want. And I always get what I want."

Robin walked past him back into the hall and headed for his own room. Red X followed close behind, pushing Starfire along in front of him. Robin walked into his own room and over to a section of the wall that appeared solid. He tapped underneath it and the faux wall slid away, revealing an exact replica of the book that appeared to be in the safe room.

"That's the real copy?" Red X asked.

"Yeah. The other one was a fake," Robin admitted. "I didn't lie. It's impossible to get into the room once it's activated, but we put a fake edition there, just in case."

"Give the girl the book," Red X instructed. Robin handed the book to Starfire's shaky hands, then returned his clenching fists to his sides. Red X began backing out of the room slowly, pulling Starfire with him. Once in the hall, he began walking backwards to the elevator.

"You've got what you want, now let Starfire go," Robin demanded, fury clear in his voice.

"Not just yet," Red X disagreed, backing into the elevator. The moment the doors closed, Robin dashed to the stairs.

"He's on his way to the sub-basement again!" he shouted into the communicator as he jumped down flights of stairs. Just as he opened the door to the sub-basement he heard the elevator ding. Starfire and the book emerged first, followed by Red X, who was still using her as a shield.

Cyborg and Beast Boy bounded out the stairs behind Robin, each freezing when they saw the scene before them. Red X walked Starfire over to the wall where a black motorcycle sat waiting. He sat down on the bike and snatched the book from Starfire's hands. In one movement he yanked the syringe from her neck and pushed her forward, then started the bike and headed for the underground tunnel.

"It's not going to be that easy this time," Cyborg stated, initiating the door lock. Before Red X, the door to the tunnel closed and sealed him in. Red X didn't even slow down, but instead threw the syringe at the door, the contents spilling against it and melting through the metal in seconds. And then he was gone again.

"He got away," Cyborg whispered in disgust. "Again."

"What do we do now?" Beast Boy asked, dejectedly.

"Robin?" Starfire called out to the young hero, who was staring at the floor with his fists clenched.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures," Robin repeated quietly. "Sometimes you have to do something you don't like in order to get what you want."

"What's he talking about?" Cyborg asked Beast Boy, who shrugged.

"Let's get started," Robin stated, heading back for the elevator. "We don't have much time."

"What are we going to do?" Starfire asked, floating along behind him.

"Cyborg, I want you to get in contact with Titans East," Robin began. "We're going to need some help on this one. Beast Boy, Starfire, I want you two to start combing the outskirts of the city where we last had a lock on Red X. Wherever he went out there was where his 'employer' is located. Once we have the location, we're going to carry out a full-on assault. Throw everything we've got at them."

"Okay," Cyborg commented as the elevator hit the observation deck. "Care to let us in on what's going on?"

"I have a plan," Robin smirked. "And one way or another, we're going to get her back."

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A book landed at Slade's feet.

"Took you a while," Slade commented.

"One book of spells. The Book of Azar," Red X stated. "One retrieval fee of five hundred thousand."

"We agreed on two hundred fifty," Slade argued, cocking his head to the side. "Plus expenses."

"The book was not at the library," Red X told him. "Fee doubles for having to do twice the work to get it."

"How about two hundred fifty thousand, and I let you keep the belt," Slade propositioned. The utility belt landed at his feet.

"I'd rather have the five hundred thousand," Red X informed him, then began walking out. He caught sight of Raven, who was still shackled to the huge machine. The thought occurred to him that she had been hanging there the whole time, then he reminded himself that he shouldn't care. She looked up as he approached.

"You look like you're having fun," Red X taunted as he walked past.

"You really have no idea what you've done, do you?" Raven hissed at him.

"Don't know, don't care," was his response. "You were a job. The job's done now, so it's none of my business."

Raven glared daggers at his back as he walked out, wishing for the zillionth time that the thing on her forehead would short out for a moment and she could do something, anything to knock the cockiness from his walk. As she expected, it didn't happen and she hung her head in frustration. Her day couldn't get any worse.

"Hindsight is twenty-twenty, you know," Slade commented as he walked over to her, the book open in one hand as he examined the characters painted on the wall around her for accuracy. "Had I known all that I know about you in the beginning, I think I would have chosen you for my apprentice and not wasted my time with those other…rejects."

"Sorry if that just doesn't impress me," Raven muttered.

"Think of it," Slade mused aloud. "My very own portal to the underworld. I no longer would need to employ such hapless buffoons to do my dirty work. I could just pick out the greatest criminals in history and bring them back to life."

"You shouldn't disturb the natural order of life and death," Raven advised in a dark tone.

"You're one to talk," Slade hissed in her ear. "As I recall, that's exactly what you intended to do for your father."

"That was different," Raven cried as he walked away from her. He suddenly turned on her, his one visible eye narrowing.

"It's no different," he disagreed. "And no natural order was disturbed in a permanent way. Regardless of what else happened that day, a life was restored. _Mine_. And the world did not end."

"You won't get away with this," she grumbled, shaking her head.

"Just who do you think is going to stop me?" Slade asked her. "Your friends? They don't even know where to start to look. I am afraid my dear that this time, there really _is_ no one to stop me."

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Red X checked the Jump City Bank account that Slade had been paying him by as soon as he walked into his current base of operations. He didn't trust that man to keep his word, and he wanted to get the money transferred as soon as possible. The account showed a deposit of five hundred thousand dollars, and Red X wasted no time in moving it to his private account.

Next he checked what he called the 'hot wire.' It was a summation of all the news of Jump City and surrounding cities that indicated if anything of interest was around to steal. Nothing caught his eye and he was about to log off for the night when a beep indicated he had an incoming transmission.

He almost didn't accept the transmission, irritable that his privacy was so easily compromised in recent days. But out of curiosity, he wanted to know who knew how to get in contact with him. And how they new. He accepted the transmission and sat back in his chair. He nearly fell out of it at the image that came forth.

"I didn't think it'd be this easy to reach you," the caller admitted.

"It really shouldn't be," Red X muttered. "And your reason for harassing me is…?"

"I want you to steal something for me," the caller told him. Now Red X was really intrigued. "What else would I be contacting you for?"

"I don't usually do jobs for other people," Red X commented, mocking the caller. "I like being my own boss."

"I'll make it worth your while," the caller promised.

"I don't know if you can afford me," Red X mocked, swiveling in his chair from side to side. "I tend to have pretty expensive tastes."

The caller took a deep breath, almost growling as the air exited his lungs. "You can name your price."

Beneath the mask he wore, Red X grinned evilly. He knew exactly what he wanted.

* * *

A/N: As always, feedback is desired. Let me know if I didn't catch any mistakes. I (hopefully) will have the next chapter up by the weekend. But we shall see. 


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Yay! Up for the weekend! It's a small goal, but hey, I accomplished it. Ok, now this is the second to last chapter. Another action chapter with a somewhat strange ending I think. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: See previous chapter…

* * *

**  
Chapter 4**

"Reinforcements have arrived," Speedy announced as he walked off the elevator onto the observation deck. He was followed by Bumble Bee and Aqualad.

"And where are the, uh, hombres?" Starfire asked somewhat dreading the answer.

"We decided that for the sake of communication, that they should watch our Tower in Steel City while we're gone," Bumble Bee explained, smiling at Starfire's audible sigh of relief.

"So, what's our situation?" Aqualad asked, walking up behind Robin.

"We've come up with a location where we think they've got her," Robin began, indicating to a map of Jump City that was spread out over a table. "Based on where we tracked my motorcycle to, and the amount of time Red X had to drop off Raven before coming back for the book, we think she's here."

He pointed to an area of cliffs that were on the outskirts of the city.

"This area is known to have depressions in the cliffs," Robin elaborated. "Though it's pretty hard to get to them without rock climbing gear, it's not impossible. And due to the reefs that line the cliffs, it's hard for the coast guard to get close enough to detect any illegal activity."

"And the plan is?" Speedy prompted, cracking his knuckles in anticipation.

"Full on assault," Robin stated. "Titans, go!"

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"Zelthor naknima shoen!" Slade called out, holding the Book of Azar in his hands. "Sereth mayian zoul!"

Opposite him, Raven was cringing as the machines she was shackled to whirred with life. Occasionally, a crack of electricity would jump from them and strike the cavern walls. The black, soul magic that Raven used was slowly circling her body, but not because she wanted it to.

She had passed out at some point and had been harshly woken by Slade's chanting of the incantations for an manufactured portal. The first thought that occurred to her was that he was wasting his time, since her powers had shorted out due to the device that had been stuck to her forehead by Red X. But with the dark chakra encompassing her body, she surmised that he had removed the device.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos," Raven chanted quietly, trying to regain control of her own chakra. A small tentacle of dark power slowly began creeping across the ground towards Slade. As she whispered her chant, she directed the tentacle to gather around one of Slade's legs.

With the mental command to grab hold and pull, the chakra was electrocuted, sending the bolts of energy back to Raven. She cried out in pain, hearing an amused chuckle over the steady hum of the machines around her.

"Come now, Raven," Slade admonished. "You should know better than that. After all, who do you think created the device that blocked your powers in the first place?"

Raven moaned in pain and frustration, hanging her head as Slade began chanting once again. Her dark chakra finally encompassed her whole body and her free will fell away to reveal a young girl with dead looking eyes. Cracks of black lightning bolts began racing over the black sphere of energy and a strong wind picked up from nowhere.

"Good," Slade murmured, watching the forced portal begin to open. "Gozen char mek!"

With a burst of black energy, the portal stabilized and showed the path to the underworld. Slade closed the book and set it to the side, walking towards the portal. He stepped through cautiously, careful of any possible attacks that may be headed his way. It looked clear.

He began making his way down a familiar stone path; this time he could actually feel the heat that radiated from the lava river that led to the Door of Lost Souls. Ever vigilant, Slade sensed a presence following him. He turned around to see Raven's soul self following him down the path.

"What are you doing here?" he asked her. Raven did not answer. She still seemed to be in a zombie-like state, unfocused. Slade didn't particularly care for this tag-along, but surmised he could do little to change the situation.

Slade continued his journey towards the door, oblivious to how long he spent walking. Finally, the towering doors that held the lost souls came into view. Slade noted with some amusement that the guardian had yet to be replaced. He stopped in front of the doors, then turned to Raven.

"How do I revive a lost soul?" he inquired. It was different when he'd come claiming his own soul. The two halves were almost magnetically drawn to each other, but without a body wanting a soul, Slade was unsure of what to do next.

"Call the name of the soul you wish to revive," Raven told him, still zoned out. "If the soul is here, it will come to you."

"Joseph and Grant Wilson," Slade shouted at the doors, waiting for them to open and reveal the chosen souls. It didn't take long for Slade to loose his patience when the doors stayed closed. "What's going on? Why don't they appear?"

"The persons you seek are not here," Raven murmured, beginning to float back the way they came.

"What do you mean, not here?" Slade argued. "They are lost souls. They should be here."

"The persons you seek are not here," Raven repeated, moving farther away from him.

"Well, then where are they?" Slade yelled, beginning to run in order to keep up with her. There was no way he was going to get stuck in purgatory again, not if he had anything to say about it. He barely made it out before the portal sealed up. Raven's soul self returned to her body, unconscious and drained from the ordeal. Slade walked over to the girl and grabbed her chin, trying to rouse her.

"Where are they?" he demanded, shaking her a bit. "Where are Joseph and Grant?"

Raven neither woke nor answered him. Frustrated, he walked over to where he'd left the spell book, flipping through the pages and searching for the portal chant. He stopped for a moment, reflecting on what had just happened.

"So they aren't in purgatory," Slade repeated, setting the book down again. "Then that would lead me to believe that they're not dead."

Slade mused over this for a few moments, then walked over to Raven again.

"You may have given me what I wanted," he told her unconscious form as he replaced the chakra blocking device over her forehead jewel. "Whether you meant to or not."

"Good. Then you won't have a problem with us taking her back now," Slade heard spoke from the shadowed cavern entrance. Out from it stepped Robin and his teammates, as well as two others he'd never seen before, but bared the Titan emblem.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," Slade shook his head. "Super villain hideouts aren't as private as in the good old days anymore."

"Maybe you should give up the profession," Robin suggested, smirking.

"But then what would I do with all of these?" Slade waved his arm in a sweeping motion behind him. On the other side of the cavern, also hidden in shadows, dozens upon dozens of red eyes opened and began marching forward. Once in the light, they were easily discernable as the robot lackeys that Slade used to do his dirty work.

"And so it begins," Speedy announced, pulling an arrow and unshouldering his bow. All of the Titans, save Robin, ran forth and began fighting off the army of robot minions. Robin and Slade continued their stare off, as pieces of robots began flying every which way as they were destroyed.

"You're mine, Slade," Robin declared, pulling out his staff and extending it.

"Honestly, Robin," Slade conversed as the boy came at him. "Doesn't this little cat and mouse game of ours ever get old to you?"

"Every time," Robin affirmed, connecting with the staff that Slade had produced. "But you always keep coming back and causing trouble."

"And you always come back for more," Slade reminded him. "If you were truly tired of it, you'd leave me alone."

"I'll never stop fighting you," Robin vowed. "Not 'til the day I die."

"That can be arranged," Slade commented, finally catching the upper hand and slamming his staff into Robin's chest. The Boy Wonder went flying into the wall and slid to the ground. Slade strolled over, intending to finish the job.

"Give Raven back to us," Robin demanded as he struggled to get back up.

"Frankly my boy, you are in no position to make demands," Slade told him, making a glance back at the girl. "And besides, I'm not quite done wit--"

Raven wasn't there. The shackles to the machine had been pried open. He looked to the other Titans, all of whom had a squad of robots occupying their time, making them all accounted for. Slade looked around the cavern again, spotting movement headed for the only exit in the cave.

"That little bastard," Slade muttered under his breath as he forgot about Robin and took off after Red X, who was carrying Raven away. Robin thanked his luck at the moment and gave chase.

Slade ran into Red X with a high kick that knocked Raven from his grasp. The girl didn't move when she hit the ground, so Slade busied himself with a little revenge on the formerly employed thief. The kid had some skill though, and Slade found it hard, but not impossible to take him down.

Finally, Red X hit the wall after an assault of kicks and punches, and slid to the ground unmoving. Slade turned around to reclaim his prize and found again that someone had made off with her. His visible eye narrowed as he watched Robin make way towards the opening of the cavern.

"Titans, let's get out of here!" Robin called, carrying Raven on his back. He followed Cyborg and Speedy as they blew away the remnants of robot minions that blocked the exit. Behind them, Bubble Bee, Beast Boy and Starfire slowed their pursuers down with their own barrage of attacks.

They came to the edge of the cliff and looked down, seeing the mini-sub still anchored just beyond the reefs. The Titans who could not fly were elevated down by those who could, landing safely in the sub. Cyborg started the engines immediately, knowing that Slade's unending supply of robot minions were not far behind. Not waiting for all the occupants to buckle down, Cyborg pushed the engines full throttle, taking them as far out to sea as he could.

The robot minions were not deterred by the water at all and still came at them full force. Starfire and Speedy sent out a slew of attacks to slow them down, but could do little to stop the mob. Beast Boy also made a stab at aiding the escape by diving into the water and emerging as a whale. He swam towards a group of minions and jumped, his huge belly crushing the group that it landed on, but did not stop the minions that had steered around him.

Beast Boy did all he could to catch up with the robots that had reached the sub and were climbing on top of the sub. He also reached the sub, taking goat form as he climbed on top and began butting the robots off the boat. A huge wave seemed to come out of nowhere and knock around the minions that were nearing the sub. A swarm of sea animals took up the fight for the Titans as they sped away. A 'thunk' on the front of the sub brought the Titans' attention there.

"What took you so long?" Beast Boy chided the young sea dweller.

"Glad I could be of some assistance," Aqualad stated, climbing into the tightly crammed sub with them. "The minions should be busy for quite awhile."

"Good," Cyborg stated. "Everyone buckle in. We're diving."

Moments later another 'thud' was heard on the roof of the mini-sub. Claw-like hands pierced through the metal hull and pulled upwards. The hull tore away to reveal Slade, who immediately reached in and plucked Raven from Robin's hold. Bumble Bee and Starfire immediately went airborne, trying to snatch back the unconscious girl but were thwarted with concussion bombs thrown into each of their chests. Beast Boy, who had been in the midst of also going airborne made a quick aquatic switch and along with Aqualad, dove into the water to collect the two stunned girls.

"Who invited you to the party?" Speedy asked, pulling an arrow and preparing to fire.

"The same could be asked of you," Slade commented, holding Raven in one arm and extending his staff with the other. A fist arrow came at Slade and was deflected by his staff, but was also nearly knocked off the sub as it suddenly slowed. The groaning and smoking engines had reached their limit.

"I don't need this right now," Cyborg commented, ducking under the console and popping a floor hatch to the engines.

Robin and Speedy were now also on the roof of the sub on either side of Slade.

"You've got nowhere to go Slade," Robin observed. Across from him, Speedy was pulling another arrow.

"You judge yourself victorious too early in the game," Slade warned. Out of the water behind him emerged several robot minions, who tackled the two heroes into the water. "Victory is not assured until every one of your enemies is dead."

"Interesting philosophy."

Slade recognized Red X's voice instantly, whipping around with his staff extended in hopes of knocking that nuisance from the sub as well. His staff connected with nothing but air as his body became unbalanced again, this time from the sub being rocked heavily from side to side. In order to prevent himself from falling off entirely, he let go of Raven and braced himself. Red X appeared next to Raven and reached for her.

"Don't do it, kid," Slade yelled over the sounds of the water battle that caused small waves to crash against the vehicle. "Trust me, you don't want to get on my shit list."

"Nothing personal," Red X told him as he picked up Raven and walked backwards to the edge of the sub. "Just business."

Slade lunged after the thief, who had jumped off the sub and was treading water to a 'borrowed' jet ski, which was floating near by. Slade did not make it into the water unscathed, as Cyborg had emerged from the bowels of the mini-sub and had taken an open shot at the super villain.

With Slade sinking with nothing in retort but air bubbles, Cyborg turned around and aimed for the engine of the jet ski. He took his shot, accurately laying waste to the engine of the jet ski and watched in satisfaction as it began to slow. Red X refused to give up and shot a tether line at a dock that wasn't far away and hopped off the jet ski. Using the retract action on the tether, he half body skied to the dock and got out of the water, still carrying Raven in tow.

"We gotta go after her," Beast Boy urged them, having successfully beaten off the new wave of minions and climbed back into the sub with the others. "We're so close."

"But the sub isn't going to make it very far," Cyborg reluctantly replied. "We either try and go after her and risk getting attacked by Slade's minions again, or we head back to the Tower and regroup."

"You guys go back to the Tower," Robin announced, taking a spare communicator from the sub and clipping it to his belt. "I'll go after Red X. I'll contact you if something happens."

"Let me give you a lift," Aqualad suggested, pointing to a sea turtle that was treading water next to the sub.

"Thanks," Robin said, climbing on the creature's back.

"Good luck, man," Speedy encouraged, while Cyborg took up the controls of the sub once again. "Call us if you need us."

Robin nodded in agreement as the turtle steered him away towards the shore line. Once there, he waved once again to his friends on the sub as they made their way out of the reef area, aided somewhat by more of Aqualad's oceanic friends. Once they were out of sight, he trudged up the mountainous terrain in the direction of his motorcycle.

Robin had elected to ride it there separately from his teammates under the pretense that it would be a good idea if for some reason they got divided. If he had been in a rush, he could have made it to the bike in less than ten minutes and be on Red X's trail, but Robin figured he didn't need to hurry.

He checked the chronometer on the communicator and was affirmed in his previous assumption. It was just past midnight, and with dawn still a few hours away, Robin had some time to kill.

* * *

A/N: So, if you're confused on whom Joseph and Grant Wilson are, go to the DC comics website (damned ff.n won't let me leave a link) click on Secret Files, scroll down to Teen Titans, then click on Deathstroke. That should answer your questions. Ok, last chapter is next. It will be up whenever. Probably depends on how quickly the feedback comes in. As always, let me know of any errors and I will try to fix them as soon as possible. Thanks! 


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Last chapter. Read on!

Disclaimer: See previous chapter.

* * *

**Chapter 5**

Raven felt a cool breeze brush lightly across her cheek. She stirred, trying to pull her covers up against her, but was confused to only feel her cloak serving as a blanket. She painstakingly opened her eyes, bewildered to see that she was more or less sitting on a concrete ground. Hazy eyes glanced about her more to discover that she was actually on a rooftop.

Trying to discern just where in Jump City she was, Raven sat up straight to try to find a landmark of recognition. She instantly regretted the movement, choking out a groan of pain before falling backwards into her former position. She hit something soft, yet firm, and it groaned as well.

"Take it easy, kid," Red X told her, placing one arm around her waist to still her movements.

"Where am I?" Raven asked, turning her head to an angle of which she could see him. His skull mask had been partially cracked off on the lower right side, which matched a gash in the head of his suit that ran at an angle up the same side of his face. A small patch of blondish hair peeked out from the ripped suit.

"Not with Slade anymore," was his answer, making it clear that he wasn't too keen on talking. Feeling quite exhausted herself, Raven didn't complain as she just leaned against him. She must have fallen asleep again, because the next thing she knew, the sun was shining in her eyes.

She groaned, pulling her arm up to block the obtrusive light. Behind her, X shifted and sat up somewhat. She was forced to sit up too, making her groan louder. Her fingers ran across the x that was still on her forehead, trying to pull it off.

"Don't do that," X complained, pulling away her hand. "You'll break it."

"That's the point," Raven muttered, now pulling at the x with the other hand. "It's blocking my healing ability."

X pulled her other hand away from the device and reached up himself. She felt him fiddling with it for a minute, then the evil piece of electronics popped off her forehead. She breathed a big sigh of relief as she tested her powers, trying to rid herself of pain in her wrists where they'd been bound for the last few days. It tingled as the wounds healed themselves at an accelerated rate, but it could have stung to high heaven for all Raven cared, as long as it healed.

"Just don't try to go anywhere," X warned her, looking around.

"What could you possibly want from me now?" Raven asked rhetorically, now turning her attention to the various scraped and wounds on her legs.

"I'm going to exchange you for my payment," X stated simply. Raven froze, turned around so she was facing him and looked at the mask that covered his eyes. X chuckled quietly. "You didn't think I stole you out of the goodness of my heart, did you?"

Her hand came up to the side of his face that had the wound and he caught it, jerking his head to the side somewhat. Unexpectedly, the wound stopped throbbing and he felt an odd tingle along the line of the gash.

"No, I guess not," Raven said as she continued to focus her healing on his face. He finally let go of her hand, and she reached behind her to grab some of her cloak. She used the half tattered item to wipe away dried blood from his wound, revealing a thin, pink scar where the gash had been.

A gust of wind from behind her made Raven look back, very surprised to see Robin standing there. X stood up, pulling her with him and facing her towards Robin.

"One Titan successfully stolen," X announced, pushing her forward. Robin took her hand and tossed a gray utility belt to X, followed by two red vials.

"Payment as promised," Robin agreed. "The original utility belt and its reserves."

"Robin, what's going on?" Raven asked, somewhat confused.

"Then our business here is done," X concluded, then took a step backwards onto the ledge and jumped off. A few seconds later, a tether line being shot could be heard. Raven stared at Robin, still confused and searching for an explanation.

"Sometimes you have to do something you don't want to, in order to get what you want," he said, putting an arm around her shoulders and leading her to the other ledge of the building, from which she could see the Tower.

"We wanted you back," Robin elaborated, blasting his own tether line and jumping off of the building, pulling her along with him. At the base of the building, Robin's motorcycle sat idling. "The Titans, East and West, wanted to fight to get you back. Even come face to face with the reality that we might lose our lives to get you back."

Climbing onto the back of the bike, Raven looked at the ground. In truth, she didn't want him to see that she wanted to cry. She didn't want any of them to see that, even though she knew it to be the truth. And the same went for her for any of her friends. She'd unquestioningly lay down her life to save one of them. But for whatever reason, to hear it said brought her close to tears.

"Everyone was willing to do that," Robin continued, heading the bike in the direction of the Tower. "But I knew…somehow I knew that this time, it wasn't going to be enough. I knew that in order to get you back, we'd have to be willing to do something we didn't want to."

Robin stopped the bike in front of the subterranean entrance, letting the bike idle as he finished his explanation.

"I didn't want to do it, but I knew the only way we were going to get you back was to have Red X steal you back," Robin admitted quietly. His tone of voice had changed and Raven could tell that this was bothering him. "The other Titans didn't see this, so it meant that they weren't willing to go that far…so I didn't tell them."

Raven's eyes widened, surprised that he would keep something from his friends again.

"I came up with a plan that seemed feasible to get you back," Robin explained. "I even brought in the East Titans. I wanted it to look like we were doing everything we could to get you back. And as I let them become fooled by the idea that this plan would get you back, I contacted Red X and set up an alternate plan."

"Robin, why didn't you tell them?" Raven whispered, watching the young super hero hang his head in shame.

"I know that the last time I did this, when I created the suit for Red X in order to catch Slade, it was wrong," Robin acknowledged. "I should have let you all know what was going on in the first place instead of lying to you. I learned my lesson. But this is different."

Robin paused, seemingly to collect himself. Raven was taken aback to see Robin in such an unsure state.

"I became the bad guy again," Robin concluded. "So no one else would have to."

"Robin," Raven whispered, still digesting all that had been divulged unto her.

"I'm telling you this because you were awake when I made the exchange," Robin told her. "If you would have been unconscious, I would have told you the same thing that I'm going to tell the others. That on my way back to the Tower, I found Red X and was able to get you back from him."

"Robin, you are not a bad person," Raven reassured him, but he shook his head, putting the bike in gear again.

"Just please, don't tell the others," Robin pleaded as he slowly rode the motorcycle through the tunnel that lead to the Tower's sub basement. "I want them to think that no matter what, if you fight the good fight, you will get what you want."

Ahead, at the end of the tunnel, she could see her friends waiting for her. The motorcycle had barely stopped when she was plucked off of it by Starfire, who was not trying to squeeze the life out of her for once. Cyborg and Beast Boy were next to nearly attack her in their joy to see her. The East Titans had their fair share of hugs and backs slaps waiting for her as well.

"It's good to be back," Raven told them, gracing them all with one of her few and far between smiles.

**Epilogue**

Raven woke to the feeling that someone was in her room again. She sat up quickly, watching the long curtains that shielded her from the morning sun waft forward slightly, pushed by a light breeze. Knowing that she had not left the window open the night before, she quickly scanned the room for an intruder. She saw no one, but given the events of three days prior, she wasn't about to let her guard down so quickly.

Forgoing the cloak, she climbed out of her bed and headed straight for the door. She did not make it before she was grabbed from behind; her attacker had apparently been hiding within the curtains. She would have screamed, but a hand clamped over her mouth before she could draw enough breath.

"Not this time," a familiar voice whispered. Raven froze, recognizing Red X's voice instantly. Though her body was still tense, she stopped struggling, surprised that the young thief had come calling upon her again.

"I just wanted you to know," he whispered, so close to her ear that she could feel his breath through his mask. "I just wanted you to know I'm a bad person."

"You're a bad person," Raven repeated, once he'd removed his hand.

"Right," X agreed, still whispering in her ear. Irritated at the thought of being held by him again, she fazed through his grip to face him.

"You came here and broke into my room again just to tell me that?" she reiterated, crossing her arms in annoyance.

"Yeah," he affirmed, though his voice sounded unsure.

"Well, you did," Raven observed, crossing her arms. "Now you can go."

He shrugged, then turned around to exit the same way he'd entered. Raven followed a bit behind, planning on closing the window after him. He stopped at the ledge and looked at her again.

"Not that it probably matters to you," he began, "but I promise not to do it again."

"Do what?" Raven asked. "Break into my room?"

"I promise not to steal you," Red X said. "That's what I really came here to tell you."

He jumped out the window after that and Raven closed the window, making sure to lock it this time. She didn't know why, but she believed what he said about not trying to steal her again. She shook her head and decided to get cleaned up for the day. The East Titans had finished helping with the Tower repairs and were heading back to Steel city. She was half way to the shower when a thought occurred to her.

"He never said anything about not breaking into my room again," she muttered to herself, and resolved that the first order of business once she'd said goodbye to East Titans was to get Cyborg to redo the security in her room. If that pain-in-the-butt thief thought he was going to continue to break into her room whenever he felt like it, then she was at least going to make it harder for him.

**—End—

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A/N: Hope you enjoyed it. As always, feedback is desired.


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